The invention relates generally to control systems used in industrial applications. More particularly, the invention relates to control systems that can store programs and maintain preset specifications for control of input and output devices used in a particular industrial application.
In industrial settings, including manufacturing and construction, it is common to utilize control systems that regulate such items as valves, motors, hydraulics, circuits, etc. These items, referred to as output devices are operated by, for example, a worker using an input device such as a joystick, such as is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,293,900 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,389,752, the teachings of which are herein incorporated by reference. Other devices may include potentiometers, sensors, etc. Usually, a driver/controller is used to communicate between the input device and the output device, thereby ensuring appropriate operation of the output device. The driver/controller is specifically selected to effectively regulate power to the particular output device. That is, each output device will necessitate a different type of device driver/controller.
Moreover, variability between different manufacturers of input and output control devices has to be taken into consideration when developing a control system. The parameters for various input and output devices vastly differ among manufacturers. For example, currently for the application of a device using a current regulated valve driver or DC motor, the user is required to predetermine the specifications of the output component and the specified input device before fitting the controls. This individual configuration scenario for each input and output device is a very time-consuming and tedious task. Consequently, the costs of developing such a control system are increased. Therefore, there is a need for a system in which variations in the input and output control devices can be taken into account to accurately configure a control system based on the particulars of the control input and output devices.